Glass mat cutter for steel extrusion process



March 13, 1956 0. A. EDGECOMB E 2,738,062

GLASS MAT CUTTER FOR STEEL EXTRUSION PROCESS Filed March 31, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l w I ,0 W W 0 1 N V E N TO R f r/l) J fa fez'ame ATTORN EY March 13, 1956 D. A. EDGECOMBE 2,738,062

GLASS MAT CUTTER FOR STEEL EXTRUSION PROCESS Filed March 31, 1955 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mu MW! INVENTOR par/Z4 [qyez'amfie ATTORNEY United States Patent GLASS MAT CUTTER FOR STEEL EXTRUSION PROCESS Application March 31,1953, Serial No. 346,010

5 Claims. (CL-207* This invention relates to means'for automatically wrapping, around a highly heated-metal billetbeing fed to an extrusion press, a refractorylubricatingmaterial in sheet form, such as a sheet of: fiberglas, and cutting the material, as it is so wrapped,.into alength. substantially equal to the billet length.

In the formationof metalshapesby extrusion, a block or billet of metalat an elevatedtemperatureis forced under high pressure to flow through a die havingr an opening corresponding tov the desired cross-sectional shape of the extrusion to be produced. The temperature of the metalmay be 2300 'F. in theca'se'of steel bywway of example.

In a typical extrusion-press, a front and rear platen are held in accurately. spacedrelation with each other, Between the platens is mounted'abillet'container for'movement toward and away from. theiforwardplaten. The: rear pl'atensupports a ram arranged tmproject into the container andforce-a billet th'erein to-flow through the die. The latter is mounted 'in adie holder? releasablyrengaged in a die carrier aligned with the' c'ontainer passage: This carrier is mounted for m'ovement into and outi of the forward platen: to move the. die-into. and out of operative relation with the exit or-downstream end=of:the container. i

When an extrusion issto bemadeathecontainer is rnov'ed forwardly; to seatflagainstithe rear face-:of the forward platen. A die holder a ndtdie assembly 's meanwhile mounted on the rear face of the'carriertand the la-tteris moved rearwardlyintotheforward platen t'o-engage the die in a recess in the forward endsofiithe container and coaxial with: the container passage. The carrier-is then locked to the -forward platen. After aheated ibillethas been loaded into the container, thezram, carrying aidummy block on its outer endgis. moved forwardly' undervery high pressure to force the billet outwardly throughthe die. The extrusion is thensevered and conveyed away-from thepress. i

The formation of metal shapesby extrusion hasheen successfully applied tonon ferrous metals" for sometime. However, it is only recently that plain and alloy 'steels have been extruded using glassas lubricant. This has been due tothe relativedifiiculti'es and problems involved in the extrusion of steels an'dalloys 'as 'compared to the difficulties and problems of extruding non fer rous inetals such as aluminum, brass,-and copper. For'example, the use of lubricants having-a carbon basefor-the extrusion of some alloy steel's may requiieanexcessive amount of i refinishing of the extrudedshape due to the carbon pickup in the hot metal. The'serextrafinishing operations have prevented the extrusion process from attaining a competitive position with respect to other metal working processes.

This picturehas been changed radic'allyby the jintroduction of a new steel extrusion process in which relatively refractory materials, suchas-glassghave'been used as lubricants. These reffactory materials have' -th'e advantage that .they donotcontain any significant amounts of carbonas a constituent elemenucoupled witfia 'flll'fihl fld- 2,738,062 Patented Mar. 13, 1956 vantage that the glass has the property of melting in succesive layers or films as it is contactedby the hot metal. Thus, only the surface or contacting layer of the glass is initially melted as the billet moves therealong, and as this film is destroyed, successive underlying layers or films are melted sequentially, thus providing a continuous lubricant film between the extrusion and the die through which the extrusion is being forced under very high pressures.

In the aforementioned typical extrusion press, plugs of glass fibre or similar material are placed in' the container passage before the billet is loaded into the container. Gharging of the billet into the container pushes these plugs up against theupstream or entry surface of the die. In addition, the billet itself is wrapped in a sheet or mat of glass fibre as it is being fed into the extrusion press. Thus, all surfaces of the hot billet which would normally contact either the container passage surface or the die are separated or spaced from such surface and the die by glass.

In a specific example, the highly heated billet, as" it is tion so thatit rolls-downwardly therea-long toward asubstantially level section or platform on the car ahdtheuc'e into. the ejector, or container charging, means.

Du-ringthe rolling of: the billet along-thetransfer'car, the billet is wrapped with a mat of glass fibre. This'is effected by feeding asheet or blanket'of glass fibre, from a roll-thereof, transversely across the substantially le'vel p-latformof the carand the pathof tra'velof: the billet along.the car. As thebilletrollsv across the glass" fibre blanket lyingon the platform, itpicks up a: glass fibre mat and wraps it around itself.

Severing. of the mat section from'the-blanket of glass fibre is designed to be effected bythe billet itself, the theory being that the highly heated billet will automaticallymelt or cut the glass fibre blanket along the'line representing the line'of movement of one end of the billet.

In practice, this arrangement for severing the glass fibre mat has not proved practically reliable. The present-invention is accordingly directed to novel and simple means forelfectively assuring severingof theglass fibre mat-from the fed glass fibre sheet or blanket substantiallyat'th'e end ofthe billet. and as the billet rolls over thesheet. T 0 this end, a metal bar or knife is mounted on the transfer car platform parallel to'the lineof movement of the billet and spaced slightly from an end of the billet asthe latter rolls along the platform. This bar extends a short distance above the surface of the platform, and the glass fibre sheet'or. blanket is fed over the bar; Thereby,- as the relatively heavy ,billet rolls over the glass'fibre sheet, with its end close to or substantially engagingthe bar, the-sheet is effectively severed along'the lineof travel of the billet end nearest' the bar.

For an understanding of the invention principles reference is made to-the following description of a typicalernbodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In'the 'drawings 1 Fig; 1 is a'schematic' planview of an extrusion press and 1 associated billet and: extrusion handling and processihg-icomponentsp.

Fig. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic front elevation view of a portion of the transfer car illustrating the invention knife;

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic perspective views of a part of the transfer car, illustrating the operation of the invention knife;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation view, particularly in section, of the transfer car and the means for moving the billet onto the car;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the rear, or billet receiving, end of the transfer car;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the transfer car, showing the invention knife; and V Fig. 8 is a side elevation view of the transfer car.

Referring to Fig. 1, an extrusion press 10 is illustrated as including a front platen 11, a rear platen 12 rigidly tied to platen 11 by tie rods such as 13, a container 14 having limited longitudinal movement relative to the platens, a die carrier 15 movable into and out of front platen 11, and a ram assembly 16 having a ram 17 projectable into container 14. The billets to be extruded are heated to a high temperature, such as 2300 F. in the case of steel, in a preferably rotary heating means 20. The billets are charged into a heating means 20 and extracted therefrom by a suitable billet handling device 21. This device deposits the heated billets onto a transfer car 30, operating on tracks 23, which carries the billets into alignment with passage 24 of container 14 and ejects them into this passage.

Ram 17 is then projected into passage 24 to engage the billet and force it, under high pressure, through a die mounted on the rear face of carrier 15 and held thereby against the exit end of container passage 24, carrier 15 being locked into forward platen 11 and thus held against movement relative to the two platens 11 and 12. Following the extrusion movement of the ram, the latter is withdrawn and container 14 moved rearwardly a short distance away from front platen 11. The extrusion is then severed between the container and front platen, after which container 14 is moved forwardly and the extrusion withdrawn by runout table and conveyor 26. Ram 17 is then moved into container 14 to eject the severed end, or discard, of the extrusion, this discard moving into platen 11 and falling into a suitable receptacle.

Meanwhile, conveyor 26 moves the extrusion forwardly beneath a saw 27. The latter severs the extrusion into the required handling lengths and the cut sections are moved forwardly against a stop 28. At this point, a pusher 29 moves the sections laterally from conveyor 26 onto skids 31 for storage or further handling.

Before the billet, such as 100, is moved by the ejector mechanism on car into the passage 24 of container 14, one or more cylindrical plugs of glass fibre are placed in the passage 24 so that loading of the billet thereinto will result in the plugs being interposed between the billet and the upstream face of the die assembly. The die assembly is shown and described more particularly in my copending application Serial Number 334,211, filed January 30, 1953, for Die Charging Arrangement for Metal Working Apparatus. Also, and as has been briefly mentioned heretofore, the billet is wrapped in a mat of glass fibre as it 18 being transported on car 38 from device 21 into positron for charging into passage 24 of container 14. The automatic wrapping arrangement will be described with initial reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, followed by more detailed description of car 30 with reference to Figs. 5-8.

Referring first to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the car 30, which is reciprocable along rails 23 extending normal to the line of movement of ram 17, is provided adjacent its end remote from the extrusion press with a sloping ramp, or the like, leading to a substantially level elongated platform 40. Billet 180 is delivered by device 21 to suitable receiving means at the upper end of ram 35 and, during movement of car 30 toward the extrusion pres t billet is caused to be moved onto ram 35 so that it will roll downwardly therealong, across platform 40, and into a container charging device at the forward end of platform 4-0 shown and described more fully hereinafter.

During its travel along platform 40, the highly heated billet is caused to wrap around itself a mat 45 of glass fibre. For this purpose, a blanket or sheet 46 of glass fibre is fed transversely of the path of movement of billet 100 along surface 40 by feeding means generally indicated at 50, the sheet 46 being withdrawn by the feeding means from a replaceably mounted supply roll 4-7 at one side of car 30. As the hot billet rolls over blanket 46, the glass fibre adheres to the billet surface so that the mat 45 is wrapped around the billet, the mat tearing away from blanket 46 along a line parallel to one longitudinal edge of the path of movement of billet 169 over surface 40, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

When the blanket 46 is merely fed across the fiat surface 40, it has been found that the cutting or tearing action due to the weight and high temperature of the billet is not dependably effective to sever mat 45 from blanket 46 along a straight line close to the end of billet 100. The present invention is directed to cutting means or a cutting knife for assuring completely effective severing of mat 45 from blanket 46 each time a billet rolls across the blanket.

To this end, a flat metal bar 60 is placed along the edge of platform 40 in such a position that its inner edge 61 is at or closely adjacent, and parallel to the line of movement of the right end of billet 100 as the latter rolls across the platform. This bar 60 preferably has a height above platform 40 of the order of A. The bar may be secured to the platform 40 or, if the bar is sutficiently massive, it may merely be placed on the platform and be held in position by its own weight.

With the bar 60 thus placed along the platform, the bar elevates the blanket 46 along a line which is closely adjacent and parallel to the edge of the billet path. The blanket 46 is fed over bar 60 onto platform 40 so that, as billet 100 rolls over the blanket, the elevated portion of the blanket is forced downwardly by the billet, effect ing severing of mat 45 from the blanket along a line parallel to and substantially at the edge 61. Due to this severing of the mat from the blanket by the downwardly directed force of the billet acting on the sheet portion elevated above surface 40 by bar 60, the mat is always severed from the blanket at the desired length substantially equal to the length of billet 100 and each time a billet rolls across the blanket. The feeding mechanism 50 is operated, during the return movement of the car, to feed a fresh length of blanket 46 across platform 40. This feeding means, as Well as the billet handling components on car 30 will be more particularly described with reference to Figs. 5-8.

Car 30 comprises an undercarriage 32 mounted on flanged wheels 33 traveling over rails 23. Suitable chocks 34 are secured to rails 33 at the forward and rear limits of movement of car 30. Travel of the car along rails 23 is effected by a driving motor 36 which, through suitable reduction gearing 37, rotates the rear axle 38 to which the rear pair of wheels 33 are keyed or otherwise secured.

The elongated level platform 40 and the sloping ramp 35 are supported through suitable side frame members 41 and braces, such as 42, on the under frame 32. The arrangement is such that the platform 40 projects a substantial distance forwardly from the front end of car 30 so that only this platform, the means 47 and 50, and the billet charging device project into the line of movement of the press parts when car 30 is at its forward limit of movement. This enables the rails 23 to be terminated r short of the line of movement of the press parts so as not to offer any interference therewith.

The billets are delivered to car 30 by a billet handling device 21 which may be of the type shown and described in the copending application of Sidley 0. Evans, Serial Number 328,688, filed December 3, 1952, for

"Ch g -Dis arge. M chanism for Billet Heating Means. As described more particularly in such Evans application, device 21 is a drum shaped elevator carrying on its periphery a trough- 44 arranged. to receive a metal basket in which is a highly heated billet. In the position of device 43 shown in Fig. 5, this trough 44 aligned with a short trough 48 which extends between trough 44 and the billet receiving means 70 of car 30. when-the car is inits rearmost position. At this time, the billet is moved from trough 44 along trough 48' and into means 70 by an airoperated ejector 1 pivotally mounted on a framework 52 and movable into and out of billet ejecting position by linkage 53 operated by a piston and cylinder arrangement 54 on the framework 52. 1 b

' The billet receiving means 70. comprises a trough formed in the upper surface of a tiltable table 71 having, at its end remote from trough 48, trunnions 72 engaging a shaft 73mounted, longitudinallyof car 30. By this means the table or platform 71 is vertically swingable between the full line and broken line positions of Fig. 5. Such tilting ofthe receiving means 70 is effected by a roller 74 journalled in the .free, endof platform 71 and traveling along a sloping elevated rail 75. Rail 75 is so located and so inclined'that, when the car 30 is at its rearmostposition, trough 70 will. have been, swung up into substantial alignment with trough 48. As the car moves toward the extrusion pres-s, roller 74 travels downwardly along rail 75 so that, before the car reaches the full line position of .Figsi 7 and. 8,,the platform 71 will be in a substantially horizontal'posi'tion.

Extending from the hinged end of platform 71 is a shock absorber means 76 having a plunger 77 extending into trough 70 in substantial central alignment therewith. As the billet is ejected through trough 48 into trough 70, the plunger 77act's as a cushioning means for the billet.

By reference to Fig. 7, it will be noted that trough 70 is formed with transverse slots 78. As the trough reaches its horizontal position, fingers 81, secured to a transverse shaft 82, enter slots 78 to lie slightly beneath the billet supporting surface of the trough 70. A crank arm 83, secured to shaft 82, is connected to a piston rod 84 of a pressure fluid actuator 85 pivotally connected at 86 to the framework of car 30. With the trough in the horizontal position, which it attains during movement of car 38 toward the press, actuator 85 is operated to cause fingers 81 to be swung counterclockwise moving billet 100 out of the trough to roll down the ramp 35.

After the billet has rolled along platform 40 to wrap mat 45 around itself and to sever the mat from blanket 46 along edge 61 of the bar 60, as previously described, the billet rolls into the container charge device or'billet ejector 65 at the end of surface 40 nearest the extrusion press. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, this ejector comprises a Vshaped trough having a slot 63 along its apex. The outer wall of trough 65 carries a guide 64 having a keyshaped slot 66 receiving a correspondingly shaped rib 67 formed on an ejector bar 68. Ejector bar 68 is thus guided to move along slot 63.

On its opposite surface, bar 68 has projecting therefrom an car 69 connected by a link 87 to one end of a crank 88 pivoted on an axis 89 to swing parallel to surface 40. The other end of crank 88 is connected to the piston 91 of a pressure fluid actuator 90 pivoted to a cross brace 42 of the car framework. Actuator 90 is operated, when the car 30 reaches its forward limit of move ment with trough 63 aligned with container passage 24, to swing crank 88 to move bar 68 along slot 63 in trough 75 to charge the billet into the container passage.

As the car 30 is moved toward its rearward limit of movement, following charging of the billet, the feeding means 50 is operated to advance a predetermined length of sheet or blanket 46 across bar 60 and platform 40. This feeding means comprises a relatively large diameter driven roller 96 cooperable with a smaller diameter presrearward travel of the car.

.. when the platform 71 reaches a horizontal position dursure roller 92. V Rollers 96 and- 92 are mounted in suit is secured a pinion 102 engaged by a rack 103 reciprocated transversely of the car 30 by a pressure fluid actuator 100, the connectionsincluding a one-way clutch arrangement so that pinion 102 is rotated by the rack only in' a sheet feeding direction. To pre-set the length of the blanket or sheet 46 fed across the car during each feed stroke, adjustment means, generally indicated at 104, are provided to limit the stroke of rack 103 to the proper value for the length of blanket feed desired.

It will be noted, from Figs. 5-8, that the platform 40, ramp 35, and associated elements are. supported on underframe 32 by adjustable supports such as 106 and 107. Also, the. rear surface of underframe 32 projects substantially beyond rear wheels 33 and carries a massive counter-weight 108 to. balance the. portions of the car projecting beyond the forward end' of the underframe. Tilting of the car is also prevented by hooks 109 (Fig. 5) riding beneath the heads of rails 23.

Suitable limit switch controls (not shown) are mounted along the path of movement of car 30, for operation thereby at predetermined points during the forward and These limit switch controls cause the fingers 81 to eject billet from trough 70 ing forward movement of the car, and cause ejector 65 to be operated as the car reaches its limit of forward movement. Also, the controls effect operation of actuator 100 during rearward travel of the car to feed sheet 46 across bar 60 and platform 40.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for applying a wrapping of lubricating material to the surface of a highly heated metal billet as the latter is being delivered to a metal extrusion press, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an elongated surface; means constlucted and arranged to roll a highly heated metal billet longitudinally of said surface; an elongated metal bar arranged on said surface along a line parallel to and closely adjacent one longitudinal edge of the path of movement of the billet over the surface; and feeding means operable to feed a sheet of such material transversely across the path of movement of the billet along said surface over said bar, whereby the billet will wrap a mat of the material around itself as it rolls across said sheet; said bar being cooperable with the billet to sever such mat from the sheet as the billet rolls over the sheet.

2. Apparatus for applying a wrapping of lubricating material to the surface of a highly heated metal billet as the latter is being delivered to a metal extrusion press, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an elongated surface; means constructed and arranged to roll a highly heated metal billet longitudinally of said surface; an elongated metal bar arrangedon said surface along a line parallel to'and closely adjacent one longitudinal edge of the path of movement of the billet over the surface; said bar extending above said surface; and feeding means operable to feed a sheet of such material transversely across the path of movement of the billet along said surface over said bar, whereby the billet will wrap a mat of the material around itself as it rolls across said sheet;

said bar being cooperable with the billet to sever such mat from the sheet as the billet rolls over the sheet.

3. Apparatus for applying a wrapping of lubricating material to the surface of a highly heated metal billet as the latter is being delivered to a metal extrusion press, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an elongated surface; means constructed and arranged to roll a highly heated metal billet longitudinally of said surface; an elongated metal bar arranged on said surface along a line parallel to and closely adjacent one longitudinal edge of the path of movement of the billet over the surface; said bar extending a short distance above said surface; and feeding means operable to feed a sheet of such material transversely across the path of movement of the billet along said surface over said bar, whereby the billet will wrap a mat of the material around itself: as it rolls across said sheet; said bar being cooperable with the billet to sever such mat from the sheet as the billet rolls over the sheet.

4, Apparatus for applying a wrapping of lubricating material to the surface of a highly heated metal billet as the latter is being delivered to a metal extrusion press, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an elongated surface; means constructed and arranged to roll a highly .eated metal billet longitudinally of said surface; an elongated metal bar arranged on said surface; said bar extending above said surface and having a sharp upper inner edge along a line parallel to and closely adjacent one longitudinal edge of the path of movement of the billet over the surface; and feeding means operable to feed a sheet of such material transversely across the path of movement of the billet along said surface over said bar, whereby the billet will wrap a mat of the material around itself as it rolls across said sheet; said bar being cooperable with the billet to sever such mat from the sheet as the billet rolls over the sheet.

5. Apparatus for applying a wrapping of lubricating material to the surface of a highly heated metal billet as the latter is being delivered to a metal extrusion press, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an elongated surface; means constructed and arranged to roll a highly heated metal billet longitudinally of said surface; an elongated metal bar arranged on said surface; said bar extending a short distance above said surface and having a sharp upper inner edge along a line parallel to and closely adjacent one longitudinal edge of the path of .movement of the billet over the surface; and feeding means operable to feed a sheet of such material transversely across the path of movement of the billet along said surface over said bar, whereby the billet will wrap a mat of the material around itself as it rolls across said sheet; said bar being cooper-able with the billet to sever such mat from the sheet as the billet rolls over the sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,365,569 Larmuth Dec. 19, i944 2,538,917 Sejournet et al. Jan. 23, 1951 2,615,491 Harris et al. Oct. 28, 1952 2,630,220 Sejournet Mar. 3, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Steel, page 67, March 9, 1953. 

